Welfare Reform Destroys Communities

“Scrap Universal Credit, PIP [Personal Independence Payment] & Bedroom Tax.” The Universal Credit scheme is designed to replace a variety of benefits, such as Jobseeker’s Allowance and Housing Benefit began in 2013 and will take a decade to roll out (WP). (The plan in the North is detailed at NIDirect.) People Before Profit (web | tw | Fb) oppose the programme (and related ones, such as PIP which replaces the Disability Living Allowance, and the Social Sector Size Criteria, a.k.a. Bedroom Tax), as described in this article on their web site.

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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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The Rising Of The Moon

“End British internment: Strip searching, controlled movement, isolation.” This Saoradh/éistigí/IRPWA board in Central Drive, Creggan, Derry, uses the words of Bobby Sands to put current political prisoners in parallel with the blanket protest and hunger strikes. The quote is an English translation from the final day of Sands’s hunger strike diary, March 17th: Mura bhfuıl sıad ın ınmhe an fonn saoırse a scrıosadh, ní bheadh sıad ın ınmhe tú féın a bhrıseadh. Ní bhrısfıdh sıad mé mar tá an fonn saoırse, agus saoırse mhuıntır na hÉıreann, ı mo chroí. Tıocfaıdh lá éıgın nuaır a bheıdh an fonn saoırse seo le taıspeáınt ag daoıne go léır na hÉıreann. Ansın tchífıdh [chífıdh] muıd éırí na gealaí.” = “If they aren’t able to destroy to the desire for freedom, they won’t break you. They won’t break me because the desire for freedom, and the freedom of the Irish people, is is my heart. The day will dawn when all the people of Ireland will have the desire for freedom to show. It is then we’ll see the rising of the moon.” 

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East Belfast Ulster Volunteers

The Union Flag/UVF side-wall is a new addition to the Ulster Volunteers/UVF memorial in London Road, east Belfast. The main panel shows WWI soldiers going over the top (see Between The Crosses) while the four portraits to its right are of deceased UVF volunteers of the 70s and 80s – Seymour, Long, Cordner, and Bennett – (see Ulster’s Brave).

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Disband The Rebranded RUC

A vintage image – of the 3-in-1 policeman, Orange Order member, and loyalist paramilitary – is used in the centre of a new Soaradh (web | tw) board at the corner of Central and Fanad drives in Creggan, Derry. For some earlier uses, see Disband The RUC (Derry, dating back to 1995) Keep The Orange Order Out (Markets, south Belfast) | No Entry PSNI (New Lodge, north Belfast) |  Disband The RUC (Newry). “Corrupt, sectarian – disband the rebranded RUC” (and also, “Smash Stormont”).

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His Young Life

“In memory of Vol Colm McNutt Derry Brigade INLA. On 12th December 1977 18 years old Colm McNutt was killed by an undercover British Army unit in William Street. In lived in Balbane Pass and was a popular young lad around the Creggan estate. He witnessed occupation and injustice and as a result joined the resistance movement, paying ultimately with his young life.” This large board was launched in December 2017 on the fortieth anniversary of McNutt’s death.

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Shutting Of The Gates

The Apprentice Boys mural in Emerson Street, Londonderry, which was at least fifteen years old, was replaced in 2018 with a version of boards (shown above). The shutting of the city gates in December 1688 began the Siege Of Derry.

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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Guns For Ulster

Carson, Crawford, and Craig are lionised as resisters of devolvement of Ireland to Dublin in the early twentieth century. Despite calling Home Rule “the most nefarious conspiracy that has ever been hatched against a free people” and vowing to fight it by “all means necessary”, including the Ulster Volunteers armed by Crawford’s “guns for Ulster”, Edward Carson “warned Ulster Unionist leaders not to alienate norther Catholics, as he foresaw this would make Northern Ireland unstable.”

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Óglach Tommy Roberts

“In proud and loving memory of Tommy Roberts, former IRA volunteer, former POW blanketman, died 8th June 2017 aged 78. His courage and dedication will never be forgotten. “As long as Ireland is unfree the only honourable attitude for Irishmen and Irishwomen is an attitude of revolt.””

Roberts was with Junior McDaid when he was shot in 1972 and was OC in Crumlin Road jail later in the 70s (Derry Journal). Video of the launch in Junememories from Anthony McIntyre | Videos of the funeral one | two.

The quote is from Pearse; it was used in Ardoyne in the 1980s.

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Dealers Don’t Care

“Dealers don’t care – say NO to drugs”. RSYM [Republican Socialist Youth Movement] (Fb) is the youth wing of the IRSP. This campaign addresses the drug problem in Derry’s Bogside.

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Victory To The Republican Prisoners

Junior McDaid house – the offices of the IRPWA (web | Fb) and Saoradh (web) in Derry – was opened two years ago (video) in Chamberlain Street. The offices are “proudly named after” IRA volunteer James McDaid, who was killed by the British Army in 1972 (Derry Journal), apparently without consulting with or inviting his wife (Derry Journal). A plaque to McDaid is to the left of the door, with two murals on the Harvey Street gable. (A third mural – shown separately – is just out of shot to the right.)

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